The Common Aludran Reptiloid (taxonomic designation: Reptiloid vulgaris[1] or just Aludran Reptiloid), is a recurring enemy in the Serious Sam series. They are ranged enemies that fire green homing projectiles at the target.
Overview[]
The Common Aludran Reptiloid is a large, green, four-armed reptilian creature that originates from the Aludran System, located in the constellation of Canis Major. They are the last remaining descendants of a once great and powerful civilization.[2] With the imminent expansion and death of their sun, the species fell into decline and they became more primitive and disconnected from their ancestral roots. Over the generations, only a decadent, inbred sect remained.[2] One day, Mental discovered the Reptiloids' homeworld and offered them magical powers in exchange for joining his army, and they agreed.
Appearance-wise, the Reptiloid is a four-armed creature that stands approximately 15 feet tall. It has two curved horns on its head, a gaping mouth full of sharp teeth, and long, pointed claws at the end of its arms and feet. Their green skin varies somewhat between their in-game appearances, with the color of their skin changing in tone. Their green skin can also serve as a somewhat effective camouflage when playing in environments with lush vegetation, such as jungles.
Application[]
Reptiloids, when they appear, play a similar role to Arachnoids and often spawn far away such as on top of pillars, columns, roofs, and so on, in order to 'snipe' the target from a distance and to distract them. In some of their appearances, they appear more frequently on the ground, where they serve as low to medium-range assault or support units.
Appearances[]
The Common Aludran Reptiloid is, by far, the most frequently encountered species of Reptiloid in the series. In the first few levels, they appear sparingly. Later on, they become a lot more frequent.
Serious Sam 1[]
In Serious Sam: The First Encounter, Reptiloids start out from the Valley of the Kings, where they are rather uncommon enemies, but in the following levels more and more of them appear until they become common, although they don't appear in The Great Pyramid on solo play. There are lots of Common Reptiloids in Serious Sam: The Second Encounter as well, from the first level to the final level. They are more mobile in The First Encounter, compared to The Second Encounter, where they are usually stationary. Tiny Reptiloids appear in Sacred Yards and the secret "yard of strange-looking heads" in The City of the Gods.
Serious Sam 3: BFE[]
In Serious Sam 3: BFE, the Reptiloid only appears in Jewel of the Nile, where they are encountered on top of buildings or ledges, though sometimes they are mobile like they are in The First Encounter.
Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope[]
In Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope, the Reptiloid first appears in Court of Contemplation. Later on, they appear more common, often following the same spawning mechanics as they do in the previous games.
Serious Sam 4[]
This time around, the Reptiloid is a lot more common than in the previous games, occurring slightly more frequently than in Serious Sam: The Second Encounter. The first Reptiloid appears in Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and then on its own or in small groups later on. Several of them may be encountered at once in the later stages of the game, like in From Earth With Love.
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem[]
The first Reptiloid appears in A Smell Of Petroleum Prevails, and then scattered throughout the levels later on. Just like in Serious Sam 4, they can appear either on the ground or on top of buildings. They are much more numerous when playing on New Game+.
Behavior and skills[]
A Reptiloid in Serious Sam 4 conjuring its signature fireball.
Having originated from a strange hexapodal race of reptiles, the Aludran Reptiloid has evolved to have four arms. Their reptilian origins have provided them with tough scales that can prove useful in combat, as it grants them decent protection from bullet-firing weapons.[2][3] Despite these evolutionary advantages, a Reptiloid can still be easily dispatched from a distance with a high-caliber sniper rifle, rockets or grenades.
Due to the abilities Mental bestowed upon them, the Aludran Reptiloid is skilled in using magic and casting its signature spells. Behavior-wise, the Reptiloid does not charge towards the player like most enemies, instead preferring to keep its distance and often remaining stationary. Upon spotting the target, the Reptiloid will cast a magical green energy ball that will track the target. This homing ball will try to hit the target, and if it misses, it will turn around and try again. This projectile only lasts for a certain amount of time before it explodes on its own. The projectiles cast by the Reptiloid can be shot down by firearms, but will not be destroyed upon impacting with a surface or wall, unlike the lava balls tossed by the Fiendian Reptiloid Demon and Highlander Aludran Reptiloid in Serious Sam: The Second Encounter. If the projectile is left to linger around for a period of time, it will eventually explode.
Should the target get too close to a Reptiloid, it will deliver a powerful melee attack that consists of a punch or a stomp. Its melee attacks are far more powerful than its fireballs, so the player should avoid getting too close to one for that matter.
Serious Sam 3: BFE[]
They are more stationary than they in are in the classic games, and behave just like the Serious Sam HD version. They cast their fireballs slightly more frequently as well. If the player gets too close to a Reptiloid, it will whack them with its arms, which deals a high amount of damage.
Like other enemies, the Reptiloid can be 'lassoed' with the Sirian Mutilator. Due to its size, however, the Mutilator needs time to gain a significant amount of charge to kill it. The Reptiloid will also pull at the beam and draw the player closer to it.
Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope[]
The Reptiloid behaves the same as it does in the other games, but it rapidly fires a burst of projectiles in succession in a similar manner to the Highlander, making them more dangerous than before. The Reptiloid is also stronger than in other games, though the ability for dual-wielding weapons still makes it easy to kill it with strong weapons.
Serious Sam 4/Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem[]
The Reptiloid is a lot more mobile than its previous incarnations, and will try to get closer to the player if it spawns on the ground. If a Reptiloid has taken considerable damage in a short period of time, it will enter a 'berserk' state in a similar manner to the Serious Sam 3 and Serious Sam 4 incarnations of the Major Bio-mechanoid, and charge towards the player while firing multiple fireballs at once. Like other enemies, the Reptiloid will become stunned briefly if it comes under rapid heavy fire.
Like other enemies in these titles, the Reptiloid will take 3 times as much damage if it is shot in the head. This allows the player to finish off Reptiloids more easily with their weapons. Even small-arms fire like pistols or assault rifles can take a Reptiloid down, provided that the player is accurate enough.
Riding[]
In Serious Sam 4 and Siberian Mayhem, the Reptiloid can be ridden if the player has unlocked the "Rodeo Time" skill via the S.A.M system. The player can mount the Reptiloid with the USE key, and control with it the directional keys. The player can make the Reptiloid cast a barrage of multiple fireballs with the primary fire key, and make it perform a stomp with the secondary fire key. These fireballs are significantly more damaging than the ones fired by ordinary enemy Reptiloids. Enemies will target the Reptiloid when the player is riding it, and they will be dismounted from the Reptiloid upon its death.
Tactics[]
General[]
- One of the best anti-Reptiloid weapons is the RAPTOR Sniper Rifle. Three shots (two shots in Serious Sam HD and Serious Sam VR) are enough to bring a Reptiloid down. In The Second Encounter and Serious Sam HD, the weapon's impressive zoom allows one to be able to dispatch Reptiloids even when they are far away. In Serious Sam 4, a single headshot to this enemy will result in a one-shot kill.
- Other good weapons for taking down Reptiloids include the XL2 Lasergun and XM214-A Minigun. Not only do these weapons kill Reptiloids relatively quickly, but they also help to shoot down their fireballs in mid-air.
- The XPML21 Rocket Launcher is also a good weapon for destroying Reptiloids from close-to-medium range. It's not very reliable for further distances though, as the rocket may impact with the fireball instead. This has a smaller chance of happening at close range.
- The MK III Grenade Launcher is a strong weapon to use against the Reptiloid; three or so grenades will kill it, though this depends on accuracy and the player's distance from the Reptiloid. As it requires precision to aim far with grenades, it is recommended to fire grenades at them from medium to close range.
- It also works better to use the grenade launcher against Reptiloids that are on the ground rather than in elevated positions.
- With other enemies, Reptiloids should be high-priority targets, especially on higher difficulties, as their projectiles can become dangerous if left unchecked. This is especially the case if rapid-fire weapons have not been obtained yet.
Serious Sam 1[]
- The SBC Cannon can be used as a last resort against this enemy, but it is not recommended as cannonballs will often explode on impact with a Reptiloid, especially in Serious Sam: The Second Encounter, where the cannonballs always explode upon touching a Reptiloid regardless of the charge.
- If playing on Serious Sam: Xbox or The Second Encounter, the sniper rifle is the ultimate weapon to use against a Reptiloid; the weapon can dispatch a few Reptiloids easily from a safe distance, as long as there aren't any other enemies around to distract the player.
Serious Sam Advance[]
- The Reptiloid's projectiles can be avoided by strafing either left or right in one direction.
- The Time Strike is very effective against Aludran Reptiloids, as it will always hit them, and it takes only two strikes from it to kill them.
- The rocket launcher in this game is not very effective against the Reptiloid because rockets will explode if they hit a projectile fired by the Reptiloid. Since the Reptiloid has a fairly fast rate of fire, this means most of the rockets fired at a Reptiloid will just explode before they hit it.
- Multiple Reptiloids should be dealt with by using rapid-fire weapons, such as the Thompson submachine gun or the minigun. These rapid-fire weapons are powerful enough to quickly kill each one if the player focuses on them one at a time. The minigun is better for dealing with Reptiloid groups than the Thompson because of its higher rate of fire, but the Thompson works just as well in a pinch.
- When paired with other enemies, the Reptiloid is a high-priority threat. Its projectiles are powerful, and it is placed so that it can easily hit the player while they are distracted by other enemies. The player should eliminate it as soon as they get a chance to target it.
Serious Sam: Next Encounter[]
- The Reptiloid isn't as dangerous as it first looks. Its green orbs are easy to dodge, and aren't as damaging as its larger counterpart, the Highlander Aludran Reptiloid.
- Zoomed-in sniper rifle shots are very effective against it, as one shot will kill a Common Reptiloid.
- If the player has to fight a Reptiloid close up, the Double-Barrel Shotgun works very well. A point-blank shot is about as powerful as a rocket and lacks the rocket's splash damage. It takes about three shots to down a Reptiloid.
- Long-range Reptiloids can be taken down with a barrage of rockets if the player lacks a sniper rifle. About four should be enough to kill it.
Serious Sam 3: BFE[]
- The sniper rifle is an excellent weapon to use against a Reptiloid, as it has a fairly high rate of fire and does a lot of damage against it per hit. Three or so shots should be enough to kill it.
- Reptiloids are slow and even usually stationary when located in elevated places. Thus a rocket launcher is a viable alternative for killing them. Note that the Reptiloid's projectiles can destroy rockets so more than 3 may be needed.
- The M29 Infantry Assault Rifle and lasergun also work well against the Reptiloid. They not only can do a good amount of damage to a Reptiloid quickly, they can also destroy the Reptiloid's projectiles right or soon after they're tossed by a Reptiloid.
- The A-24 Devastator and is an ideal weapon against the Reptiloid. Its projectiles are fired fast enough to destroy the Reptiloid's projectiles and kill it before the fireballs reach the player.
- A Reptiloid's projectiles can be dodged by simply strafing left or right.
- If a Reptiloid projectile is dodged, it will often try and hit the player again. It's best to turn around and destroy it as soon as it's avoided, or else the player may be in for a nasty surprise a few seconds later.
- When paired with other enemies, the Reptiloid should be one of the first enemies killed. It's easy to lose track of its projectiles in a heated firefight, which can lead to deadly consequences later on. It's best to eliminate a Reptiloid as soon as possible so that the player no longer needs to keep track of the green balls it's shooting while dealing with other matters.
- When a situation requires the use of rapid-fire weapons, Reptiloids should be medium-priority targets as rapid fire weapons can shoot down projectiles with ease.
Serious Sam 4/Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem[]
- The Reptiloid is easier to kill thanks to the dual-wielding system and the headshot mechanic.
- Fire at the Reptiloid's head when possible; it will take more damage this way and make it easier to finish the Reptiloid off. The Devastator, TCC-2 "Perun" Crossbow and sniper rifle work well for this purpose.
- As Reptiloids are now more frequently encountered on the ground, if the player is daring enough to get close up to one, the Double Barrel Coach Gun is powerful enough to kill it in one shot if all the pellets land on its head. Even if all of the pellets don't land, a close range blast is still powerful enough to stun the Reptiloid, which can allow the player to finish it off before it resumes attacking.
- The Devastator, grenade launcher, and rocket launcher are very useful for dispatching close to medium-range Reptiloids.
- Despite its weak damage output, it is possible for the player to kill a Reptiloid with the SOP38 Pistol (especially if they want to earn the Pow Pow! achievement), but it takes a considerable number of shots to kill one with it and leaves the player vulnerable to its fireballs. It is best used to finish off the Reptiloid unless the player dual-wields them and shoots it in the head with them.
- The sniper rifle is an excellent weapon against them; one shot to the head will kill it.
- Strong weapons, such as the cannon, FRPCL and XPMR "Burner" Raygun can be used to safely dispatch Reptiloids from medium to far range.
- If riding another enemy (by unlocking the "Rodeo Time" skill in the S.A.M. system), especially a slow-moving one like a Major Bio-mechanoid or Khnum, Reptiloids should be dealt with immediately to avoid excessive damage to the monster the player is riding. Khnums can quickly kill Reptiloids with a single burst of three fireballs, although some Reptiloids will spawn on top of buildings that can easily block the Khnum's fireballs. For this reason, the player should fire their own weapons while on top of the enemy they have mounted to destroy the Reptiloid projectiles before resuming dealing with other enemies using the mounted enemy's attacks.
- Once a Reptiloid is stunned, if the player has unlocked the Rodeo Time skill, they can ride the Reptiloid and use its homing projectile barrages to attack enemies from far away or around the player. However, due to its slow movement speed, it is more likely that the Reptiloid will die due to sustained damage from Gnaars, Kleer Skeletons, Processed Anthropolyps, or especially Beheaded Kamikazes and Bio-mechanoids.
Related achievements[]
Serious Sam 4[]
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| Kill an Aludran Reptiloid using nothing but a pistol. |
Behind the scenes[]
- Early Serious Sam 4 design sketches of the Reptiloid depict it with different colored skin and wearing a skull on its head. It can also be seen conjuring blue fireballs as opposed to the usual green ones.
Trivia[]
- Although the Reptiloid bleeds green blood in Serious Sam 1, when killed, it may leave behind a puddle of red blood. This is fixed in Serious Sam HD and games released afterwards, and instead bleeds red blood.
- In Serious Sam HD and Serious Sam 3: BFE, the Reptiloid has two death animations; the first one it will slowly collapse onto the ground with an audible thud if killed with small-arms fire or the sniper rifle, and the second animation is the Reptiloid slamming onto the ground on its back if is killed with projectiles like grenades, rockets, etc.
- This is also shared with the Fiendian Reptiloid Demon.
- The fireball tossed by the Reptiloid in Serious Sam 3 uses the Serious Sam HD model.
- While most character and enemy models in Serious Sam HD are larger than their Serious Sam 3 counterparts, even when resized to more accurate sizes, the Reptiloid averts this convention - the Serious Sam 3 Reptiloid is larger than the Serious Sam HD Reptiloid.
- In Serious Sam Fusion, the Reptiloid uses the rocket launcher's firing sound when casting a fireball.
- The Reptiloid is called "Beast" in Serious Sam 1's game files.
- The Reptiloid's SS1 projectile type is also called "Beast" in the Serious Editor. It is notably used by the Hard+ attack by the Beheaded Rocketeer from Serious Sam Fusion onwards, as well as the homing fireballs fired by Ugh-Zan III.
- Four small Reptiloids dressed up in suits can be found in a hidden room in Siberian Mayhem, in the level Crime And Punishment. Inside this hidden room, they can be seen plotting an evil scheme.
Gallery[]
Artwork[]
Serious Sam 1[]
Serious Sam: Next Encounter[]
Serious Sam Advance[]
Serious Sam 3: BFE[]
Serious Sam 4[]
References[]
List of appearances[]
- Serious Sam: The First Encounter (First appearance)
- Serious Sam: The Second Encounter
- Serious Sam: Xbox (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam Advance (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam: Next Encounter (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
- Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
- Serious Sam 3: BFE (Jewel of the Nile DLC only)
- Serious Sam VR: The First Encounter (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope
- Serious Sam Classics: Revolution (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam 4
- Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem